


Come Here Often?

by severity_softly



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alcohol, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 11:06:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5663929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/severity_softly/pseuds/severity_softly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron takes Dave's advice, with some unexpected results. (Originally published September 2009.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come Here Often?

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published September 2009. Written for nebula99, who prompted me with "Hotch/Reid - I didn't know you could dance". Betaed by innerslytherin.

Aaron and Haley hadn't slept together for quite some time before their divorce. It had been a long time since Aaron had even come near having sex. While that wasn't, and shouldn't be, the sum total of one's existence, Aaron knew enough about psychology and human nature to know that it was important, no matter what after school specials would eventually try to teach his son.

Aaron didn't advertise that he was bisexual, though he did have a few close friends who knew, Dave being one of them. And Dave had been telling him for the last year that he "really needed to fucking get laid". Aaron was starting to agree with him, so after repeated attempts to get Aaron to go to a club Dave had heard about, Aaron finally bit the bullet and went. Dave told him a friend of his said that while there were a lot of younger people there, it wasn't a meat market like so many other clubs, and that there should be plenty of men Aaron's age there.

Aaron was dubious when he stepped inside, dressed down in khakis and a polo shirt. There was a throng of younger people dancing on the dance floor on one side of the room, but Aaron was thankful there was a section where the older men seemed to congregate.

He settled at the bar, ordered a beer, then glanced around the room. He felt awkward. He couldn't even remember _how_ to do this. He'd been married since he was practically a kid. So he just looked for a while, sipping his drink, until someone on the dance floor caught his eye. He couldn't have been very old, but his lean body was moving to the beat, and he wasn't _with_ someone. Aaron couldn't help but stare.

The man's hair was falling in his face, but when he lifted his head and shook it back, Aaron sucked in a sharp breath. It was Spencer. _Spencer Reid_ was _dancing_. In a gay club. Aaron still couldn't look away. His heart was pounding as he was presented with a dilemma. He could either leave right now, or he could approach Spencer. He didn't want Spencer to see him first.

Running felt cowardly, though, and after a moment, Aaron realized Spencer was just as vulnerable here as he was. He drew in a steadying breath, and headed onto the dance floor, winding through the crowd to Spencer, who hadn't seen him.

"I didn't know you could dance," he said when he walked up behind Spencer, and he heard Spencer gasp as he whirled around.

Spencer's eyes widened, and even in the dim light, Aaron could see the color rising in Spencer's cheeks. "Um, I-- Hotch. I--"

"It's okay," Aaron said, putting a hand on Spencer's shoulder.

Spencer stopped stammering and just stared at Aaron, and suddenly Aaron had no idea what to say. A few moments passed, and finally Spencer said, "You're gay?"

Aaron couldn't help but smile. "No."

"Neither am I," Spencer said quickly. He swallowed hard, then glanced away. When he looked back, he blurted, "I'm drunk."

Aaron nodded. "Do you come here often?"

Spencer frowned. "Are you coming on to me?"

Aaron snorted a laugh, and just put his hand on the small of Spencer's back. He guided Spencer off the dance floor, since neither of them were dancing, and they settled back at the bar where Aaron left his drink.

"I don't come here a lot," Spencer said, sitting. "I just-- when we're just off a case, I need to--"

"Get out of everything in your head?" Aaron filled in, and Spencer nodded.

"I'm sorry," Spencer murmured.

"For what?"

Spencer looked back up at him, and just blinked at Aaron. It was almost endearing whenever Spencer had something he _couldn't_ answer.

"You're a better dancer than I would have thought," Aaron said.

"I have to be drunk," Spencer said.

"If you can dance drunk, you can probably dance just fine sober if you could let go of your self-consciousness."

Spencer snorted. "Like I said, I have to be drunk." He bit his lips together, and glanced away. "What about you?"

"Oh," Aaron said. He looked at the dancers again. "This isn't my sort of dancing."

"What is your sort of dancing?"

Aaron laughed. "Like an old man."

"I would dance with you," Spencer blurted. His cheeks darkened again. He dropped his head quickly, his hair falling in front of his face.

Shock went through Aaron, but then he managed a smile. "Are _you_ coming on to _me_?" he teased, hoping Spencer wouldn't mind. But then what Spencer said next shocked Aaron even more.

"Yeah."

Aaron's lips parted, and he found himself not knowing what to say. Again. Spencer was one of his team members, and too young for him. But he was also gorgeous (and this wasn't the first time Aaron had noticed), and smart, and he understood the job.

"Say something," Spencer murmured.

"I'm flattered," Aaron said.

"But?" Spencer said, his voice almost inaudible now over the music.

Aaron's heart thudded in his chest as he thought about a lot of the responses he could give, a lot of the responses he _should give_. But he found himself not wanting to give any of those sensible answers right now.

"No buts," he finally said, and when Spencer looked back up, his had a tentative smile on his face. Aaron returned it. "You're not saying this because you're drunk, are you?"

"Only in the sense that I wouldn't have had the courage otherwise," Spencer replied.

Aaron nodded, feeling suddenly grateful he'd decided to take Dave's advice. It struck him that maybe Dave knew this would happen, but he would save that question for the next time he had Dave over.

"Do you want to dance?" Spencer blurted, looking hopeful, and Aaron grinned.

"Let's save that for the second date."


End file.
